A GREENER TOMORROW

GOING GREEN! T he past 20 years have seen growing realisation that the current model of development is unsustainable. In other words, we are living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the felling of rainforests or over fishing to the negative effect our con-sumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate. Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet. The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land and air cannot go on forever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day. The goal of sustainable development is to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life, without compromising the quality of life of future generations. Unless we start to make real progress toward reconciling these contradictions we face a future that is less certain and less secure. We need to make a decisive move toward more sustainable development. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is in our own long-term best interests. It offers the best hope for the future. Whether at school, in the home or at work, we all have a part to play. Our small everyday actions add up to make a big difference. T ake a cue from the Prince of Wales is in the midst of setting up his new charity, the Prince’s Countryside Fund, to support the small family farms which form the backbone of rural Britain. The new find is designed to act as their safety net, making money available not only when natural disasters like Foot and Mouth strike but to also offer support in difficult financial times. The Prince has recruited large food producers and retailers to help fund the charity and serve on its board of trustees, a decision that should prove beneficial for both the retailers and the farmers who supply them. His aim of nurturing sustainable agriculture is widely regarded as vital to the future of the countryside. You don’t have to wear khaki, own expensive binoculars and be an expert on the countryside to enjoy it. Everybody should be able to go out and enjoy the countryside without feeling intimidated by not knowing the names of everything. E ncourage wildlife as much as you can. Put bird feeders up, use nest boxes and think about what you plant in the garden. If you live on the 22nd floor in the middle of a city then it doesn’t matter, you could always plant nectar rich plants in a windowsill box and encourage bees. David Attenborough is a hero of mine. He has been able to communicate to so many people the really important themes of our time. Not just the importance of conservation but the perils of climate change and population growth. The man never seems to run out of ideas.....he admittedly claims he always has new ideas of communicating issues. Climate Change poses two distinct challenges. The first is to act to limit the amount of change by reducing the emissions that are understood to be its root cause, notably from our use of fossil fuels; the second is to work out what to do in response to the change in the climate itself. The two are inextricably linked and the better we become at the former, the less we will need the latter.